What’s on in August 2015

The best season of the year is in full swing, whether you’ll be away or spending more time with your little ones, there is plenty to do in the area for families who wish to enjoy this lovely and sunny time of the year.

Remember to keep checking our blog as we will be updating this post with more events each week.

SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Take a look at our recent post Free summer activities for plenty of ideas and tips on free summer fun for you and the kids!

Key English School offers a wide range of summer camps for children aged 3 to 15, available at various locations in Geneva and Lausanne. Parents are able to choose between full days (from 9am to 5pm) or half days, with morning sessions running from 9am to 12.30pm and afternoon sessions from 1.30pm to 5pm. There will also be a special Tiny Tots camp for 3 to 4 year olds in Vésenaz (Canton Geneva). Find out more about Key English School courses in our previous post.

 

If your little ones love music, try one of Music Together in Geneva summer courses. Starting on the 6th of July 2015, courses take place at different locations in town: Pâquis, Eaux-Vives, Bernex, Carouge and ‪‎Geneva‬ downtown. Teachers speak English and French.

 

July-August 2015: Vacances d’Été, summer activities for kids and teenagers at the Maison Vaudagne in Meyrin. The Animation Grenadine for children aged 7 to 15 will take place every afternoon from 3pm to 7pm and will offer circus and creative workshops, fun games etc. The Entre2 activities for teenagers will run from the 29th of June to the 20th of August 2015 and will include basketball tournaments, baby foot, maquillage and circus shows.

 

If you live in Lausanne, download this fabulous brochure in French detailing all the summer activities, shows, holiday camps, workshops organized by the city of Lausanne for the little ones. Many are free of charge or require only a nominal fee.

 

14th-24th July 2015: Accueil libre pour enfants « Les Coloriés » at the Parc Geisendorf in Geneva (rue Poterie 5). From Tuesday to Friday your little ones will be able to take part in these fun creative workshops running from 3.30pm to 6pm with a free snack included. FREE ENTRY.

 

 

BEACHES, POOLS & LIDOS

Enjoy summer at some of the best lake beaches, outdoor pools and lidos in the area. You’ll find some useful links in our previous post and articles about Nyon plage; Plage de Rolle; Plage de Préverenges and St-Prex.

 

The Piscine des Vergers in Meyrin (Avenue Louis-Rendu) has an outdoor olympic size pool, a paddling pool, water slide and a bassin “non-nageur” for beginners. The piscine is open from May until the end of September; everyday from 10am to 8pm.

 

If it’s a real scorcher, why not take the kids to the Parc de l’Auberge in Meyrin, with its fantastic water jets and tipping buckets? Entry is FREE.

 

If you’re in downtown Geneva, you can still take the plunge and sunbathe at L’amarr@GE – Bains lacustres sur le Rhône at Pont de la Machine, an amazing floating swimming pool in the shape of the Swiss Confederation flag. This great project forms part of the GE200.ch celebrations — find out more about it in our previous post “200 Years of Swiss History”. The amarr@GE is open from 10.30am to 7.30pm Wednesday to Sunday. Entry is 2CHF for adults and 1CHF for children, water temperature is 28 degrees. The pools have different depths: one is 40cm deep, and the others 110cm et 130cm deep, so it’s great for little swimmers too. Open until September 2015.

 

Genève-Plage (Quai de Cologny 5, Port-Noir) is a Geneva institution. There’s no better place to be with your little swimmers on a hot, sunny day so make the most of the swimming-pools, water slides, sandpit and play area – don’t forget your sun cream!

 

Hot summer’s days are perfect for a pedalo boat ride on Lake Léman too. In Geneva, you can hire a pedal-boat from Les Corsaires (near the Jet d’Eau) at 14CHF per adult. Click on this link to find other boat rental locations in Vaud.

 

The brand new “Psychobloc” (climbing block) at the Bains des Pâquis in ‪‎Geneva‬ opened officially on Friday 26th of June and it looks fantastic! On this summer’s to-do list: try a little climbing in the lake.

 

Vitam’ (500 route des Envignes, Neydens, France) is a great waterpark for hot summer’s days: there are indoor and outdoor pools, as well as great waterslides for all ages. Children aged 6 to 12 can also enrol for the summer swimming school, which runs from the 6th of July to the 28th of August 2015 (each course is 5 days).

 

The Plage du Lac in Divonne-les-Bains is open from the 1st of June to the 31st of August 2015. A 350m lovely sandy beach on the shore of the Lac de Divonne, it’s a great place for families with young children. They have a buvette, a kids play area, toilets and they offer swimming lessons, canoë, kayak & pedalo rentals. An entry fee is charged, around 3 Euros per person and 2 Euros for children.

 

The Centre Nautique in Divonne-les-Bains (France) is an outdoor pool open from the 17th of May to the 7th September 2015. A great place to cool off on a hot summer’s day! Contact them on piscine-lac.divonne@comsports.fr for full details and prices. Centre Nautique – 282 avenue des Alpes, Divonne-les-Bains. Tel. +33(0)4 5020 3785 piscine-lac.divonne@comsports.fr

 

Until 30th August 2015: the Château Bleu – Centre Aquatique in Annemasse (France) has a summer programme jam-packed with great activities including baby swimming, aquatraining, waterpolo, diving introductory classes and even story-times for little ones! All activities are included in the price of a single entry, (5 euro for adults, 3,50 euro for kids and free for children under 3). Download the full programme here.

 

LUDOBUS

The toy library buses called LUDOBUS are back in Geneva for the summer season! From the 8th of May until the end of summer the red and blue ludobus will be travelling to different parks in Geneva to keep the little ones entertained in the afternoon from 4pm to 6.30pm (from 5.30pm to 7pm during the summer holidays). FREE ENTRY, activities are free for children. You can click here to download the  exact dates and locations for both ludobus covering Servette; St-Jean; Petit-Saconnex; Plainpalais; Jonction; Acacias; Pâquis; Grottes; St-Gervais; Eaux-Vives; Champel and Cité.

 

SUNDAY BRUNCH, DAYS OUT & MORE FAMILY FUN

• Take a look at our previous post to find all the best child-friendly places to enjoy a delicious and stress-free Sunday brunch with your little buttons.
• If it’s a scorcher, what about a scrumptious “brunch in the sun” with the family ?
• Summer is the perfect season for picnics too, here’s some of our favourite spots – what are yours ?
• Now that the sun is out, why not take the kids to pick-their-own veggies at the farm? Find out more about “libre service” farm markets in our previous post.
• Want to know how to survive a rainy Sunday ? Find some ideas and suggestions here.
• Spring is a fantastic time to explore Switzerland and its picturesque villages. Read our previous post for suggestions about great days out with the kids
• If you’re planning a holiday or a short break, here’s some places our little ones have loved: Papiliorama in Kerzers (CH); Ballenberg Open Air Museum (CH); Bern (CH); Thun (CH); Pérouges (France); Lyon (France); Versailles (France); Dijon (France); Aosta (Italy); LEGOLAND in Windsor (UK); Antalya (Turkey) and many more charming places to see in Switzerland.
• When the sun is out, why not take the boat across the lake to visit the medieval village of Yvoire in nearby France?
• A bit further away but definitely worth a visit is the French village of Pérouges, it’s a great family day out!

 

AUGUST 2015 LISTINGS:

• 1st August 2014: Swiss National Day is a national bank holiday and it celebrates the founding of the Swiss Confederation. Find out more about it and all the events in the area in our recent post.

 

• until 2nd August 2015: “Au pays des enfants” kids festival in the Pays-d’Enhaut, Switzerland (communes of Château-d’Oex, Rougemont and Rossinière). The programme includes over 100 shows and plenty of creative workshops for children of all ages. A great family day-out in the beautiful setting of the Pays-d’Enhaut ! Vist the official website for full programme details in all 3 communes and to buy your tickets. If you have a Coop Hello Family card you can claim a 20% discount.

 

• Monday 3rd until end of August 2015: Yoga au parc/Yoga in the parc sessions in Geneva at the parc de Beaulieu and Parc de la Perle du Lac. There is going to be extra classes at the parc des Eaux-Vives on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Bring your own yoga mat and please leave a donation at the end of class. Namaste!

 

• 4th-8th August 2015: “Les fondues du Macadam” in Thonon (France), a fabulous festival that will delight the whole family with its varied programme of circus and theatre shows, clowns, acrobats, live music and much more. See the official website for full programme details and to book your tickets.

 

• Wednesday 5th August 2015: “Pouvons-nous vivre ailleurs?” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• 8th August 2014: Marché Folklorique at the Place de l’Eglise in Morges (VD). A stunning little market filled with fab Swiss-made products, delicacies and souvenirs as well as great activities for the whole family. Open from 9am to 2pm, with live Swiss music, the Cor des Alpes choir, face-painting for kids and St. Bernard dogs to cuddle!

 

• until 8th August 2015: Yatouland outdoor at the Centre commercial de Thônex (106 rue de Genève, Thônex). Open from 1pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays and on rainy days. Entry is free so make the most of these outdoor inflatable castles!

 

• until 9th August 2015: Fêtes de Genève, the city’s summer festival is on its way with 150 free concerts on three different stages (Club Stage in the heart of the Jardin Anglais; the very popular Funkytown Stage at Baby-Plage and the new Wilson Stage on the Right Bank). There will be plenty of entertainment for little ones too with funfairs, merry-go-rounds and much more all along the Geneva lakeside. Don’t miss the traditional waiters’ race and the amazing firework display on the 8th of August 2015 from 10pm.

 

• until 9th August 2015: “La poupée dans la poche”, theatre show for children at the Théâtre De l’Orangerie Genève (Quai Gustave-Ador 66C) at 11am. The story is inspired by traditional Russian tales for children and the theatre location is simply stunning.

 

• 10th-15th August 2015: Lounge Music Festival 2015 in Les Gets (France). Enjoy 36 free music concerts covering jazz, swing, funk in this gorgeous mountain resort. You certainly know Les Gets in winter, but summer is a great season too! The festival will offer plenty of great activities, workshops and games for kids too. FREE ENTRY.

 

• 11th-15th August 2015: “Carnets de terrain, carnets de voyages” and “Lorsque la musique se met à danser”, fun workshops for kids at the MEG museum in Geneva (Musée d’ethnographie de la Ville de Genève, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65-67). The first workshop is suitable from age 12 and teaches how to make travel journals. The second is a dance workshop suitable from age 5, find full information on the MEG website. Tickets start from 7CHF, advance booking required at inscriptions.meg@ville-ge.ch

 

• Wednesday 12th August 2015: “Pouvons-nous vivre ailleurs?” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• 12th-22nd August 2015: “Far° festival des arts vivants” in Nyon (VD). A good festival encompassing visual arts, theatre and dance. See the official website for full programme details and to buy tickets.

 

• 15th August 2015: Midsummer festival in St-Cergue. Join in the celebrations of this lovely Swiss festival and watch the cow parades and pig races. FREE ENTRY, the festival starts at 9.45am with the cow parade and will end with a traditional dance in the evening.

 

• until 15th August 2015: RiveJazzy Nyon, a great music festival dedicated to traditional jazz music, swing, as well as latino & gipsy music. It takes place in the Quartier de Rive in Nyon during the months of July and August (except during the Paléo Festival), concerts might be cancelled in case of rain or bad weather. Entry is free of charge for all and there are plenty of delish options to combine dinner with some great live music. Visit the official website for full programme details and performance times.

 

• until 15th August 2015: Body Kids, fun gym classes for kids (in French) at the Parc Pré Vert Signal de Bougy. Classes take place every Wednesday at 3pm and last 45 minutes, children will learn about good posture, exercise and keep fit this summer! FREE, no advance booking required.

 

• 15th-16th August 2015: Zig…Zag…Zoug!, free circus show suitable for the whole family at the Meyrincentre (Avenue de Feuillasse 24, Meyrin). The show will take place at 7pm on the 15th of August and at 6pm on the 16th. Free entry, donations gratefully accepted at the end of the show.

 

• 15th-16th August 2015: La Fête Médiévale – Château de Grandson (VD). The Château de Grandson in Vaud is one of our favourites Swiss castles and on the 15th-16th of August it will come to life with a superb medieval festival. Go if you can: the kids will love it and the adults too! The festival will run from 2pm to 11pm on Saturday 15th and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Entry is 12CHF for adults and 5CHF for children aged 6 to 16.

 

• 16th August 2015: Restaurant Day in Lausanne. Everyone can become chef for a day! Come and enjoy 21 pop up restaurants proposed by local people who just love cooking. Mini-burgers, tapas, Columbian food, urban food…just take your pick of what will be presented in various places across the City of Lausanne, including private homes. See the official website for the complete list of all pop-up restaurants, from Cuban cuisine, family brunch to vegan and TexMex cuisine.

 

• until 16th August 2015: CinéTransat is one of the Geneva’s best-loved summer events and it’s easy to understand why: every evening at dusk they show a selection of great movies free of charge in the wonderful setting of the Parc de la Perle du Lac, you can bring your own picnic and enjoy a lovely evening out with family and friends. But this is not all: they also organize a series of theme and karaoke nights, from disco night to Bollywood make sure you dress the part. Find out more about CinéTransat in our 2012 interview with founder and organizer Dan Acher. If you’ve never been, we promise you will love this event – if you’ve been, we bet you can’t wait to go back this year. Movies are shown in their original soundtrack with subtitles, so all British & American movies will be in English. Check their facebook page in case of bad weather or rain as the session might be cancelled. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” on the 1st of August 2015 is a great movies for kids.

 

• until 16th August 2015: Fête de l’Épouvantail, fun scarecrows festival in Denens (near Morges), a great family day-out everyone will enjoy! The celebrations will include live concerts, kids shows, fun activities, a traditional scarecrow competition and a family brunch on Sunday 16th of August. Legend has it that long ago, in 1387, the scarecrows in the countryside around Morges came to life and started terrorising the wine-growing families in the region, thus preventing them from picking the grapes which were ripe for harvest. The villagers were only able to break the evil spell when they managed to set fire to the king of the scarecrows. For full programme details, take a look at the festival’s official website.

 

• 17th-21st August 2015: Free Ateliers Cirque, circus workshops in French with Snick le Clown at the Parc Pré Vert Signal de Bougy. Juggling, monocycle and more circus skills to learn free of charge! Activities take place from 10am to midday everyday from Monday 17th to Friday 21st of August 2015, look for Snick the Clown at the restaurant or inside the park. FREE ENTRY.

 

• 18th-21st August 2015: Vacances à la romaine, kids workshops in French for ages 7 to 12 at the Musée Romain de Nyon (9 rue Maupertuis). These fun sessions will look at the history and customs of ancient Rome, from mosaic art to unravelling ancient coded messages. Running from 2pm to 4pm all week, they cost 16CHF per child and must be reserved in advance at 022 361 75 91 or musee.romain@nyon.ch.

 

• Wednesday 19th August 2015: “Pouvons-nous vivre ailleurs?” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• until 19th August 2015: Histoires en herbe, summer storytime in Plan-les-Ouates for children aged 4 to 10 every Monday and Wednesday morning from 10am to midday. The Monday session will take place outdoors on the Mail in Plan-les-Ouates (near the Mairie) and in case of rain on the steps of the “salle de gym” of the école du Pré-du-Camp. The Wednesday sessions will take place “sur l’herbe”, near the école du Vélodrome (close to the playarea), and in case of rain under the veranda of the Maison Ravy. Free entry, for more info contact Catherine Hostettler on 079 654 51 06.

 

• 20th August 2015: Le Wâgo Magic Manouche Family, free street circus show suitable for the whole family at the Jardin Alpin in Meyrin (Chemin du Jardin Alpin 7), starting at 8pm. FREE ENTRY.

 

• until 20th August 2015: Musiques en été in Geneva, an impressive series of 38 live concerts covering all possible music genres and taking place in some of the city’s most picturesque spots. From jazz to classical, rock and hip hop you will definitely be spoilt for choice. The best thing about it all? All the Musiques colorées live concerts at the Scène Ella Fitzgerald (parc de La Grange) are free of charge!

 

• 21st August 2015: La Nuit des Chauves-souris 2015 à Nyon, learn all there is to know about these endangered and fascinating nocturnal animals! With fun activities, creative workshops and more at the Musée du Léman in Nyon (VD) from 7pm and 9pm. FREE ENTRY, no advance booking necessary.

 

• 21st August 2015: Cinéma plein air : Rio 2, FREE open-air cinema screening of Rio 2 (in French) at the Halle couverte de l’esplanade du lac in Divonne-les-Bains (181, avenue de la Plage). FREE ENTRY, the movie starts at 9.30pm and is suitable from age 6.

 

• until 21st August 2015: été à la Jonction, summer activities and workshops for failies, adults and children at different locations in the Jonction neighbourhood in Geneva, including the parc Gourgas; parc de la Baleine (rue du Village-Suisse) and the parc Baud-Bovy (parc de l’Ancien palais). Click here to download the full list of activities and workshops. All events are organized by the Association de la Maison du Quartier de la Jonction, l’Association 60X60, l’Association le 3ème Optimiste, le Collectif Puna, Caroline Cariage, Magali Theiler, Diego Rigamonti, l’Unité d’Action Communautaire Plainpalais-Jonction-Acacias, la Ludothèque Jonction-Plainpalais, l’Espace jeunesse de la Bibliothèque Municipale de la Jonction, le Service de la Jeunesse de la ville de Genève.

 

• 21st-23rd August 2015: Don’t miss the “Fête des Pirates de Rive” in Nyon‬ this Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd of August. With great activities for children, a pirate village, live music and the “brocante de Rive-Nyon”, it’s going to be a fab day-out for the whole family! FREE ENTRY.

 

• 21st-23rd August 2015: the Festival des artistes de rue in Vevey’s old town (VD) will welcome international street artists from all over the world exhibiting their acting. musical, juggling, circus and even fire-eating skills. Sunday 23rd of August is “Family Day” so don’t miss the extraordinary line-up of family shows taking place from 11am to 5pm. See the official website for further info, entry is free but artists will ask for donations at the end of each performance.

 

• Saturday 22nd August 2015: Fêtes des Mômes on the Place de Bel Air in Nyon. FREE kids activities, face painting, bouncy castles, balloons, glittery tattoos, starting at 10am.

 

• Saturday 22nd August 2015: “Féerie d’une Nuit”, a great family day-out at Signal de Bougy (VD) dedicated to our Solar System and the fascinating world of astronomy. From 3pm until 2am there will be plenty of fun activities to keep everyone entertained: from conferences to kids workshops, planetarium and meteorites stand. FREE ENTRY, no advance booking required.

 

• Saturday 22nd August 2015: CERN guided tours in French, suitable from age 10, from St-Genis Pouilly. The tours are FREE OF CHARGE and will run from 11.30am until 2.30pm.

 

• until 22nd August 2015: “La Roulotte Enchantée et ses spectacles”, a great summer initiative in Lausanne offering free shows, workshops and activities for children in various locations throughout the city. Take a look at the official website for details of their daily locations and activities, make the most of their free workshops and theatre shows.

 

• 22nd-23rd August 2015: 15 ans du Refuge at the Refuge de Darwyn in Sezenove (Geneva), celebrating its 15th anniversary. Free entry on both days starting from 11am, celebrations will continue with fun activities for kids, equestrian shows, food stalls, artisan market & much more! All in support of the great charity work done by the Refuge de Darwyn. FREE ENTRY.

 

• 22nd-23rd August 2015: La ville est à vous in Vieusseux. This public event involves street parties, second-hand sales and activities for children. Take a look at the official website for all upcoming weekends and join in, because the city really does belongs to you! Here’s the list of upcoming street parties: 29th-30th August: Saint-Jean; 5th-6th September: Europe; 26th-27th September: Pâquis.

 

• until 23rd August 2015: Opération chaises longues, a great initiative organized by the city’s public libraries offering mobile book services (livres nomades), free apples, sun loungers and more free activities to allow families, the elders and young people to enjoy Geneva’s beautiful parks to the max. The Opération chaises longues will run everyday from 1pm tp 7pm at the following locations: Parc des Bastions; Parc Trembley; Parc Beaulieu; Parc du Promeneur solitaire; Les Halles de l’Ile; Parc Bertrand (01.07-25.08); Parc Baud-Bovy (16th July-17th August from 11am to 7pm); Bois de la Bâtie; Parc La Grange (28th July-24th August from 1pm to 7pm).

 

• until 23rd August 2015: “Aubes musicales” free live concerts from 6am to 7am every morning at the Bains des Pâquis. Enjoy one of Geneva’s finest cultural traditions (summer isn’t summer without these concerts at the Bains) and start your day inspired by beautiful music…and a free coffee too!

 

• until 23rd August 2015: Salt Cinema Geneva, open-air cinema at Geneva’s Port Noir. See the official website for full programme details.

 

• until 23rd August 2015: the Tour de plage at the Fontaine des Tours in Carouge (20-22 boulevard des Promenades), opens up again for the summer season. A fantastic spot right in the heart of Carouge, where you will be able to enjoy live concerts and plenty of activities for the little ones, including face painting, giant outdoor games from Carouge’s toy library, Zumba etc. – and all are free of charge! Open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 7pm, Tour de plage has too many activities planned to list them all here, so click on the official website for full details.

 

• 23rd-28th August 2015: Festival Au Bonheur des Mômes in Le Grand Bornand (France) is an international festival dedicated to kids’ shows of every kind, from puppet shows to acrobatics, clowns, dance, juggling and a lot more. As well as great shows and workshops for kids, you will also find dedicated play areas for little buttons with story-time, magic roundabouts etc. If you have older children who’d like to try their hand at something new, register for one of the 26 fun workshops available. Visit the official website for full programme details and to buy your tickets.

 

• Wednesday 26th August 2015: “Pouvons-nous vivre ailleurs?” – Animation du mercredi  from age 7 at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou). In connection with the current exhibition “Exoplanètes”, these free Wednesday workshops will take place from 2pm to 4.30pm (second floor).

 

• 28th-30th August 2015: Vogue de Carouge at the Place de Sardaigne with live music, kids activities, face painting, dance and many more fun activities for the whole family.

 

• 28th August-12th September 2015: La Bâtie – Festival de Genève, an unmissable line-up of fantastic concerts, theatre & dance shows, workshops, exhibitions and much more. There will be shows and workshops for kids too. Visit the festival’s official website for full programme details and to book your tickets.

 

 

• 29th August 2015: “Nuit des chauves-souris à Genève”, organized by the Muséum d’histoire naturelle. From 7.30pm to 11.30pm discover all there is to know about these nocturnal creatures. Entry is free but advance booking is strongly recommended at 022 418 64 03 (Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Route de Malagnou 1, Genève).

 

• Saturday 29th August 2015: If you live in the ‪Founex‬ area, don’t miss the inauguration of the new “Place de jeux de l’auberge communal” on Saturday 29th of August 2015. The new playground looks fantastic and, from 10.30am until 3.30pm, there will be free activities for kids, bouncy castles, face painting, balloons and much more! FREE ENTRY.

 

• Saturday 29th August 2015: Summer Folk Festival at the Salle Jean Monnet in St. Genis Pouilly (France). Free entry in the afternoon from 3pm, with free activities for kids, petting farm, music workshops and food stalls. Tickets are on sale for the evening concert at 8pm..

 

• 29th-30th August 2015: La ville est à vous in Saint-Jean. This public event involves street parties, second-hand sales and activities for children. Take a look at the official website for all upcoming weekends and join in, because the city really does belongs to you! Here’s the list of upcoming street parties: 5th-6th September: Europe; 26th-27th September: Pâquis.

 

• 29th-30th August 2015: Festival Chouette Nature in Lacconex (Geneva), this is the second edition of a new family festival focused on nature and sports. For ages 3 to 15, the festival will offer plenty of workshops and activities for all including very young children in the dedicated area “Les Bouts-de-Chou”. Delicious Genevan specialities and local produce will also be available from the festival’s market. Free entry, see the official website for further details.

 

• Sunday 30th August 2015: Festival des sports at the piscine de Colovray & sports centre in Nyon (VD). From 10am until 5pm you will be able to try out new sports, watch live demonstrations and more fun activities. FREE ENTRY, no advance booking necessary.

 

• Sunday 30th August 2015: Pass’sport, free sports event at the Espace du Vidolet in Cessy (France). From 10am until 6pm there will be free fun activities, bouncy castles, free sports trials for everyone, laser games and live demonstrations of different sports. FREE ENTRY no advance booking necessary. A huge thank you to Barbara for the info!

 

• until 30th August 2015: La baronne Matilda Guiguer reçoit au Château de Prangins, guided tours in period costume at the Château de Prangins (VD). Let 18th century Baroness Matilda Guiguer guide you through the museum’s permanent exhibition “Noblesse oblige!” and learn about her family and children. Guided tours will take place every Sunday during the months of July and August at 1.30pm; 2.30pm and 3.30pm. Entry is 10CHF for adults, 8CHF for ages 16+ and free for children under 16.

 

• until 30th August 2015: Divonne Quartier d’été, free summer activities in Divonne-les-Bains. Activities include free cinema screenings, concerts, shows and much more!

 

• until 30th August 2015: Luge sur rail. Have you tried the sledge on rail at Col de la Faucille (France)? It’s quite a thrill, perfect for a summer weekend. Suitable for children aged 11+, kids aged 5 to 10 must be accompanied by an adult. The ‘luge sur rail’ – one of the biggest in Europe – is open everyday until the 30th of August 2015, from 10.30am until 6pm. The price per person is 6 € or 50 € for 10 tickets, children aged 5 to 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

 

ONGOING:

• until 21st September 2015: Lausanne Estivale, a great summer festival offering plenty of activities, concerts and more for all ages. The programme will be online at the beginning of June so check their official website for full details.

 

• until Sunday 27th September 2015: Free Spectacles enfants — clowns, music and other fun kids shows in French at the Parc Pré Vert Signal de Bougy. Shows will take place at 3pm in the park’s amphitheatre but will be cancelled in case of bad weather and rain. Click here to download the complete list of upcoming shows. FREE ENTRY, no advance booking required.

 

• until October 2015: Les Quais du Dahlia, a wonderful dahlias exhibition along the lakeside in Morges. See over 2,250 gorgeous dahlia flowers bloom in hundreds of varieties all along the Quai Igor Strawinsky in Morges (VD). A truly stunning view along the town’s lakeside. Read all about last year’s edition in our previous post.

 

• until 18th October 2015: “Plantes & Spiritualités”, a great exhibition and themed walk at the Botanical Gardens in Geneva. A perfect day-out for the whole family, with plenty of outdoor attractions for the little ones: a great playground, free zoo, merry-go-round and beautiful gardens of course! FREE ENTRY, open everyday from 8am to 7.30pm.

 

• until 25th October 2015: “L’œil nu” a fantastic new exhibition suitable from age 7 at the Espace des Inventions in Lausanne (Vallée de la Jeunesse 1). The exhibition will teach your little ones everything there is to know about sight and vision, through a series of interactive stations. Alongside the exhibition there will also be a series of fun workshops for ages 7 to 12 called “Le Club des petits inventeurs”, from 2pm to 5pm on selected days. Click here to download the list of activities.

 

• until 25th October 2015: “Alison Elizabeth Taylor: Savage Root”, new art exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Alison Elizabeth Taylor at the Musée – Château de Nyon (VD). This American artist has become well-known for reinvigorating the Renaissance craft of marquetry, or intarsia wood inlay, which she uses to depict contemporary scenes of rural and urban life. This is her first solo European exhibition, which features great workshops for kids starting in September 2015, guided tours for adults and a special American evening to celebrate the 4th of July.

 

• until 4th April 2016: Exoplanète, a great exhibition at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève (1, route de Malagnou) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the first exoplanète, a planet situated outside our solar system by the Swiss astrophysicists from the Observatoire de Genève, Michel Mayor & Didier Queloz. This exhibition is accompanied by a number of kids workshops, guided tours, astronomical observation and many more events in the months to come.

 

• until May 2016: Exposition de la maquette de la ville de Genève. The architectural model of the city of ‪Geneva‬ looks pretty awesome, it comprises of 145 modules and it took 40 years to complete! It is now on display for the first time and open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am until 6pm at the “Exposition de la maquette de la ville de Genève” — 25 rue du Stand — Geneva. The exhibition opened on the 15th of April 2015 and will run until May 2016. You can call +41 22 418 20 63 for more info or to book a guided tour.

 

• The permanent exhibition “Noblesse Oblige” at Prangins Castle is a great day-out for the whole family, take a step back in time with your children to see how a noble Swiss family lived in the 18th century! Find out more about this fantastic family exhibition in our previous post.